Returning to Nature: The Importance of Moderation in the Relationship Between Nature and Human Beings

Recently, environmental protection becomes increasingly crucial throughout the whole world and the great concern should be focused on how to handle the relationship between human beings and nature. About two hundred years ago, Henry David Thoreau already made a creative and elementary experiment in the woods—returning to nature. Thoreau recorded his daily life there in Walden that is considered as a representative book in exploring the relationship between human beings and nature. It is considered that moderation plays an important role in Thoreauvian returning to nature and it is necessary to reaffirm the principles of Thoreauvian moderation—self-sufficiency and self-discipline, which can provide profound inspirations for modern environment-oriented life. Thoreauvian paradigm of moderation can help more people to keep it internalized.